Evansville Police Department will host the year’s final Coffee With A Cop at Donut Bank at Lincoln Ave/ Hwy 41 tomorrow December 18, from 7 am to 9 am. EPD Officers will be excited to welcome members of the community and their children as they will team up with Santa to give out toys to children that are present. Remember you must have a child with you to leave with a toy from Santa. We look forward to seeing and talking to the wonderful people that will attend. Merry Christmas!
Gov. Holcomb Statement DCS Director Bonaventura’s Resignation
Indiana Department of Child Services Director Mary Beth Bonaventura notified Gov. Eric J. Holcomb on Friday that she will resign her position effective Dec. 27, 2017. The governor has begun the search for a new director to lead this critical state agency.Several members of the media have requested an official response to Director Bonaventura’s letter of resignation, and Gov. Holcomb offered the following statement:
As I said on Friday, I’m grateful for Director Bonaventura’s years of service and her commitment to keeping Hoosier kids safe. I share that commitment and that’s why the state continues to make investments in the agency. We are providing record funding to DCS with nearly half a billion dollars more in funding support over the next two years. We will continue to do all we can to protect children.
Attorney General Curtis Hill to hold press conference announcing first recipient of TenPoint grant
Attorney General Curtis Hill will hold a press conference Tuesday to announce the expansion of the Indy TenPoint Coalition to the Indianapolis Eastside. This will be the first TenPoint affiliate funded with seed money from a grant through the Office of Attorney General.
Following are details for the press conference:
Who: Attorney General Curtis Hill; U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Josh Minkler; Rev. Charles Harrison, Indy TenPoint Coalition; Pastor James Jackson, community partner; representatives from the Indiana Drug Enforcement Association, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Lawrence Police Department and the Eastside neighborhood.
When: 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2017
Where: Post Road north of 42nd Street, in parking lot behind Marathon gas station on west side of street. (Address for GPS purposes is 4224 North Post Road, Indianapolis.)
Kayla Casteel named MVC Newcomer of the Week
  Honor is the fourth of the season for UE Women’s Basketball
For the third straight week, the University of Evansville basketball team has had a student-athlete named Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week with freshman guard Kayla Casteel earning the honor after a pair of impressive performances.
On the week, Casteel averaged 13.5 points while shooting 53.3% (8-15) from the field, 58.3% (7-12) from beyond the arc, and going a perfect 4-4 from the free-throw line after entering the week without a point in her collegiate career. The freshman also showed poise in her first appearances with increased minutes, committing just two turnovers in 42 minutes of action.
In the Aces’ 96-59 victory over Oakland City on Thursday night, Casteel came off the bench to score 14 points in 23 minutes of action, swishing four three-pointers. On the road against UIC on Saturday afternoon, the Indianapolis native continued her strong week as the freshman tallied 13 points on 3-5 shooting from beyond the arc in a 96-77 road loss.
Casteel’s 27 point week is the best among Aces’ freshman this season and second-best among players coming off the bench this year.
The honor is the fourth this season for the Aces after graduate guard Hannah Noe earned the recognition three times previously this season.
The Aces conclude their pre-holiday slate on Tuesday when Evansville travels to take on SEMOÂ at 1 p.m. in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
Indiana’s Hixon, Connor Win Diving Titles
Indiana University’s Michael Hixon and James Connor each won diving titles this past week, highlighting a busy slate for the Hoosier divers.
At the 2017 USA Diving Winter National Championships in Greensboro, N.C., Hixon won gold in the 3-meter dive with an impressive score of 1231.85. Teammate Andrew Capobianco took home fifth place overall, notching a personal-best score of 1134.90.
Also at the Winter National Championships, freshman Mory Gould qualified for the final in the 1-meter dive for the first time in his career, placing eighth with a score of 566.25.
At the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games Trials in Australia, Connor had an impressive showing in both the 3-meter and 1-meter events.
Connor, a two-time Olympian for Australia, took home the gold in the 3-meter, winning with a score of 868.70. Later, Connor took third place in the 1-meter with a total of 705.85.
First Sergeant Jason Allen Promoted to Lieutenant
On Sunday, December 16, Indiana State Police Superintendent Douglas Carter promoted First Sergeant Jason Allen to the rank of Lieutenant to serve as the District Commander for the Jasper Post.
Allen is a native of Knox County and a 1992 graduate of Lincoln High School in Vincennes. After high school, Allen served his country for four years in the United States Air Force, while serving eight month in support of Operation Southern Watch in Saudi Arabia. In 1998 Allen earned an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from the Community College of the Air Force.
Allen graduated from the Indiana State Police Recruit Academy in 2000. He was assigned to the Evansville District, patrolling primarily Knox County. As a member of the Indiana State Police, Allen has served as a Squad Sergeant, a member of the Tactical Intervention Platoon, SWAT, Honor Guard and Critical Incident Stress Management Team, as well as a Field Training Officer, and a member of the High Performance Vehicle Squad. Allen was promoted as the Assistant District Commander of the Evansville Post in 2013.
Lieutenant Allen will reside in the Jasper District with his two children:Â Josie and Ellie.
Holiday food basket giveaway
Several Vanderburgh County agencies will join together this morning to help needy families this holiday season with a food basket giveaway. The Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office is proud to join with the Dream Center and the Evansville Police Department for this holiday event.
Details below:
When: 10am Monday (12-18-17)
What: Agencies involved will give away 500 turkeys, food boxes, fruit, and bread for the holiday season
Who will benefit: 149 families through the Dream Center from 8 schools and 10 churches
Where: Old North High School (2319 Stringtown Road Evansville, IN 47711)
IS IT TRUE DECEMBER 18, 2017
We hope that todays “IS IT TRUEâ€Â will provoke “honest and open dialogue concerning issues that we, as responsible citizens of this community, need to address in a rational and responsible way?â€
IS IT TRUE a loyal reader sent us an article published in the AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet on January 23, 2017? …we feel this article could be of interest to our readers so we decided to publish it? …this article states that the Medicare program protects consumers by limiting how much physicians and other health professionals can charge Medicare patients? …the fact sheet describes Medicare’s “balance billing†rules for physician services and related rules for physicians who choose not to accept Medicare payment and instead have “private contracts†with all their patients who have Medicare?  …attached is the link of the summary Fact Sheet in this article? … Read the Fact Sheet (PDF)?  …attached a link explaining Medicare’s current rules limited “balance billing” and private contracts provide important financial protection for consumers. Without these protections, Medicare beneficiaries would likely face higher out-of-pocket costs.
IS IT TRUE we are told that city employees unpaid medical payments for the several months to area healthcare providers are being deferred for payment during the first half of 2018?
IS IT TRUE we expect the annual State Board of Accounts audit is scheduled to be released any day now? Â …we are hearing it’s an interesting read?
IS IT TRUE members of the Evansville City Council better keep their eyes open concerning the last half of the $12,550,000 advance payment that the city receives from Tropicana? Â …we are told that the City Controller has transfer those funds in the General Fund instead of the Riverboat Rainey Day Fund?
IS IT TRUE several years ago EVSC’s hired Cox Law Firm to encourage debtors to paid what they owe EVSC for past books and cafeteria debts before taking them to Small Claims Court?  …that Cox Law firm agreed that they wouldn’t charge EVSC if they have to take the debtors to Small Claims Court for judgement? …another part of the agreement with the EVSC states that Cox Law firm will only be compensated for sending demand letters and negotiating with defendants to make arrangements before taking debtors to Small Claims Court?  …that Cox Law firm over the past several years has negotiated with individuals that owe money to the EVSC with success? …we commend Cox Law Firm for not being over aggressive “Dog The Bounty Hunters” debt collectors but are still able to collect a good sum of money owed to the EVSC?
IS IT TRUEÂ many people are wondering what kind of political deals that members of the Evansville City Council are cutting in order to determine the leadership position for 2018? Â …we predict that the new leadership makeup of City Council for 2018 will surprise anyone?
IS IT TRUE if you feel members of our law enforcement don’t have a hard and dangerous job please that time and read the  EPD Daily Activities report posted in the CCO?